Evolution Festival 2013 Review

How was your spring bank-holiday weekend? Was it full of good things like fun, sun and amazing music? That means you must have been toEvolution 2013 at Newcastle Gateshead quayside. Yes! It’s that time of year again: the biggest music event on the northeast of England’s calendar. Evolution only started in 2002, but it’s had some incredible artists and bands performing there since then, such as:Maximo Park, Spector, The Enemy, Dizzie Rascal, Iggy and theStooges, Two Door Cinema Club, Tinie Tempah, Noah and the Whaleand Plan B. The festival organisers were expecting big crowds, with the sun shining and this year’s line-up, which attracted a good number of people. The majority of the audience consisted of groups of teenagers, who were out to party and have a good time. The festival is held over two days and is conveniently located on the Newcastle Gateshead quayside, which is very easily accessible.

Big Beat BronsonandMojaxxgot the music under way with most of the younger revellers staying at the Ballast stage. Later, MartinLongstaffof The Lake Poetstook to the stage and performed a couple of acoustic numbers before being joined by his band members. They're a local band from Sunderland and youcould really relate to Longstaff's incredible songwriting ability about life and the area. RaleighRandall was met with some screams from the audience, but that was due to a rat scampering among the crowd’s feet. It was caught by a heroic security man, who removed it from the area. Then there wasThe Strypes, a four-piece rhythm-and-blues band from Cavan, Ireland, formed in 2011; they had a good retro sound with a modern twist, sounding like The Rolling Stones but with an alternative indie vibe. Rudimentalwas next to delight, a band from Hackney, London.

They got everyone excited; was it due to their chart success or their funny antics like playing the spoons? I spoke to a lot of people over the course of the day, and they were mostly excited about Ellie Goulding and TheVaccines. Ellie came on stage to a massive roar and chants of her name; I think this was one of the highlights of the day for the cheering crowd.

The Vaccines were next up, and they introduced their gig with Mark Knopfler’sLocal Hero, which got the crowd singing even before they came onto the stage. I think these guys had done their homework. They played their set with a lot of tracks from their debut album, such as Wreckin’ bar, Wetsuit and Post-break-up Sex. I've seen them a few times, and they've been better. I'm not sure if anyone else noticed.

​Monday was very similar, with a diverse line-up, but this time with some flamboyant costumes to behold. Boy Jumps Ship opened the proceedings on the Spillers Wharf Stage, a four-piece rock band based in Newcastle; you could tell they're influenced by many forms of rock. They've been getting a lot of media attention lately, so could be a good band to keep an eye on.

Lulu James, another local artist from South Shields, who appeared on the Jools HollandShow a while back, emerged onto the stage with a most revealing costume, in the trend of Lady Gaga. She only started playing live gigs in October of last year but commanded the stage as if she had been doing it a lot longer. I would describe her as a soul singer with modern beats; she could have a big future ahead of her. Another crowd favourite wasBastille; a lot of new excited fans had gathered to see them. They were likeU2meets Kings of Leon, so appealed to boys and girls--a formula for success. They've done a cover version of Rhythm of the Night, which the crowd loved immensely. ​Next came Jake Bugg. I was very impressed with his guitar collection, as he switch from one to another for nearly every song. He has burst onto the scene and has a great fan-base. Let’s hope he can make his next album as good. His performance was excellent and well ahead of his years, and Jake got the crowd singing at every opportunity.

Now for the top of the bill:Paloma Faith: she had some serious competition from the Ballast Hills Stage, as that became a sell-out for Sub Focus, a drum-and-bass, house, dubstep band. But Paloma’s crowd was also big. Everyone had gathered at both stages for the grand finale that didn't disappoint. Paloma, with her extravagant costumes, sang out her hits, such as New York, Just Be, and Never Tear Us Aparthad the whole mass of people waving their hands from side to side. And finally, after introducing her band to everyone, sang us all out with Picking Up The Pieces.

I know this festival use to be free, but in today’s financial climate, you can’t go wrong with a ticket for two days of quality music. The cost of a weekend ticket was very reasonable: probably what you would pay to see one top artist for a show lasting an hour and a half.The facilities and catering were of a high standard. All the staff I came in contact with were very helpful. The weather held out for us the second day, so we were lucky. Review by Garry Urwin 29/05/13